Once again, it is time for the Kwando Safaris sightings. Today's post covers sightings for June 2010 for Kwando Kwara Camp, Nxai Pan Camp, and Kwando Lebala. Tomorrow's post will cover Kwando Lagoon Camp and Tau Pan Camp. Enjoy this month's updates!

Kwando Lebala Camp

While the consistently high flood waters have cause the Savute channel to flow for the first time in over twenty years, the Kwando concession has not seen the massive floods breaking the banks of the Kwando River this year. Strangely the floods have all but passed the region by this time. This relatively ‘low’ water levels in the concession and flooding of surrounding areas will mean abundant game sightings for the rest of the season as the general game and predators will move into the drier areas adjacent to water.

African Wild Dog Puppies!

Wild dog were the main focus of excitement at Kwando Lebala as well as Kwando Lagoon this month. The guides were fortunate to have discovered the den site of a pack of four dogs, and later identified nine puppies.

The three adults were seen regularly on kudu kills as they constantly hunted to feed the alpha female and her young. Guests have been lucky to have been able to visit and observe the interaction between dogs and puppies throughout the month.

Other Kwando Lebala Sightings

Lion were also extremely active in the region, and among individual sightings, a pride of 5 lions and 2 cubs killed warthog, zebra and a giraffe all within the space of three days! The first buffalo herds have also begun to arrive from the wetlands to the north as the rainwater filled pans begin to dry out.

Nxai Pan Camp

The focus of activity at Nxai Pan Camp in the middle of the very dry winter season, is the two main waterholes in the park, one of which is located in front of the camp. Our guests enjoy the multitude of animals clamouring for water from the comfort of the main area or their own private viewing decks. At any time there are up to 20 bull elephants are seen around the camp waterhole, drinking, bathing or simply enjoying a cooling mud bath. These are joined by a succession of springbok, giraffe, gemsbok, impala and wildebeest, and creates an incredible display of activity and species interaction.

Inevitably the lions are never far away this type of prey concentration and as made famous in the Imax movie ‘Roar’ by Tim and June Liversedge, they have become prolific ambush hunters especially of springbok. Cheetah and leopard are both spotted regularly as well as the prolific black backed jackal, and even a flock of 37 ostrich!

Kwara Camp and Little Kwara Camps

The high water levels in the Okavango Delta continue to affect the movement and distribution of many species especially elephant, and buffalo near Kwando Kwara Camp. The predators are regularly sighted but remain widespread throughout the area, especially the dominant coalition of seven males. The abundance of food and water allows them to remain further a field and as their territory covers an increasing numbers of different females, they are in turn forced to cover more territory to maintain their pride boundaries. Four of the original seven are still predominantly resident in the area and still seen often with various females and sub adults, feeding on various prey including warthog, giraffe and hippo.

Other predators become bold with the relative distribution of the lions. Cheetah have been seen more often of late including two females feeding on a reedbuck, some shy single individuals and a band of three brothers killing a tsessebe after a short swim across a river! Elsewhere leopard have been spotted moving brazenly about the concession and seen killing impala, and feeding on kills of baboon and tsessebe.